Trump administration on Wednesday approved the sale of lethal defensive weapons to the government of Ukraine as military clashes with Pro-Russian separatists in the East continues. The United States will supply Ukraine sniper system Model M107A1 and related equipment. The transaction value amounts to 41.5 million dollars, reports The Washington Post.
The decision to supply Ukraine with heavy weapons such as portable anti-tank system FGM-148 Javelin, is still pending.
We will remind that eks-the US President Barack Obama, who has repeatedly condemned the Russian aggression against Ukraine, ultimately refused to deliver the last lethal weapon, despite the fact that the sale was sanctioned by the Law «On freedom support of Ukraine», adopted by the U.S. Congress in 2014.
«I’m glad the administration approved the sale of defensive lethal weapons to Ukraine», — said the Chairman of the Senate Committee on foreign Affairs Bob Coker. «This decision was supported by Congress in legislation adopted three years ago and reflects the longstanding commitment of our country to Ukraine in the face of continuing Russian aggression.»
In response to criticism of such a decision, the Secretary of defense James Mattis in August, explained: «a Defensive weapon is not provocative, if you are the aggressor. And, of course, Ukraine is not the aggressor, as it was her own territory, where the fighting taking place».
